"Superbug" Found in 40 Percent of Danish Pork

A Danish study found alarming amounts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in both conventionally farmed and organic pig meat.

A study published this month by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) found methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (LA-MRSA) in 48 percent of the organic pork samples it tested. Using genome sequencing on 305 meat samples derived from local retail stores, DVFA also found that 32 percent of organic pork contained LA-MRSA and that the presence of the bacteria has risen by 38 percent in all samples since 2011. According to food advocacy firm The Good Food Institute, 80 percent of all antibiotics produced are used on farmed animals. Experts at England’s University of Exeter recently warned that antibiotic-resistance—which can be caused by the transfer of resistant bacteria from an infected animal to human through the consumption of animal products—creates the groundwork for the next deadly pandemic.